Fire extinguisher



G. L. TRUEBLOEOD FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Oct. 30, '1933 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 19,1935

UNITED STATES PATENT 2 Claims.

My invention relates to portable means for use in extinguishing fires and is particularly concerned with a fluid container adapted to discharge a stream of fluid under pressure.

An object of my invention is to provide a portable re extinguisher which is capable of discharging an extinguishing uid under pressure without requiring pumping by the operator.

Another object of my invention iskto provide a re .extinguisher which is very simple to refill after use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a very inexpensive re extinguisher.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguisher which can easily be installed in a motor vehicle.

Another object of my invention is in general to improve portable ire extinguishers.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of one form of re extinguisher in accordance with my invention, a portion being broken away to disclose the interior construction.

Figure 2 is a cross-section on a transverse plane of one portion of a iire extinguisher constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 3--3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-section on a transverse plane of a modified form of fire extinguisher in accordance with my invention, certain portions being shown in elevation.

In its preferred form, the fire extinguisher of my invention includes a deformable casing adapted to contain a iire quenching liquid which is enclosed in a relatively non-deformable housing adapted to contain air under pressure, together with means for releasing liquid from the casing under the influence of the pressure within the housing.

While the re extinguisher of my invention is susceptible of embodiment in numerous different forms, I have, for example, illustrated it herein as comprising an outer housing 6 which preferably is a relatively long tube of metal or other substantially rigid or non-deformable material. The tube is conveniently made circular in crosssection, and at one end is provided with an air admission valve 'l of the type customarily utilized on vehicle tires. Such valve, as is well known, is provided with a check to permit the ingress of air but to prevent the egress of air. Preferably, the valve 'I is of the more recent type, including a pair of checks in series and is normally closed by a removable, air-tight cap 8.

Situated within the housing t is an inner casing 9 which is preferably deformable or nonrigid. As an example of a suitable collapsible inner casing, I provide a thin metallic tube, usually circular in cross-section, which is crimped ,5., or otherwise closed at one end I I and at the other end is provided with an out-turned ange I2 spanned by a frangible or rupturable diaphragm I3 in tight relationship with the flange I2. If desired, the casing 9 can be made, in addition to 10 thin metal sheets, of metal foil and the like, or of a nommetallic substance such as cellophane. The inner casing 9 is located or held in place within the Vhousing t and an air-tight seal is made by a cap I4 which preferably is fastened by 15l threads IS to an enlarged frange il at one end of the housing 5. The inner casing 9 contains a suitable re quenching liquid, for example, carbon tetrachloride, while the outer housing 6 is charged with air under a suitable pressure, say 50 20 lbs. per square inch, by means of the inlet valve 1. When the device is so conditioned, the liquid within the casing 9 is under substantially 50 lbs. per square inch pressure and remains under such pressure until released in use. 25

In order to release liquid from the interior of the casing 9 when desired, I provide a nozzle I8 projecting from the cap I4 and having a bore I9 therethrough which extends from the tip of the nozzle to a chamber 2i enclosed between the 30 cap I4 and the diaphragm I3. A plug cock 22 is mounted in a conical bore 23 in the cap I4 and, having an aperture 24 therethrough, is effective upon rotation of the plug cock to govern flow through the passage I 9. A suitable spring mech- 35 anism 26 maintains the cock 22 in seated position.

In order to rupture the diaphragm I3 and thereby release the contents of the casing 9, I preferably provide a puncturing pin 2l guided 40 by an enlargement 28 operating in a bore 29 in the vcap I4, and likewise guided by a plug 3| preferably screwed into the cap I4 and underlying an enlarged head 32 terminating the pin 21. A depending portion 53 of the pin 21 rests 45 within a cam groove 34 out into the plug cock 22. When the cock is in off position, or with the passage 24 out of line with the passage I9, the cam groove 34 is ineffective to translate the pin 2'I axially. However, upon rotation of the plug 50 22 in either direction the cam 34, bearing against the extension 33, translates the pin 21 axially and forces the piercing head 32 to rupture the diaphragm I3. The liquid within the casing 9, therefore, passes through the rupture in the diaphragm 55 and through the passage I9, being controlled in its flow by the plug cock 22.

Since the entire device is relatively light and quite portable, it can be aimed by the operator in any desired direction for best results in quenching a re. Particularly is this true if the device is constructed of the general proportions indicated in Figure l. The relatively great length of the device enables the operator to remain relatively remote from a re and nevertheless accurately to direct the issuing stream of quenching liquid at the desired portion of the re. When the device has been entirely discharged, the cap I4 can be unscrewed and, with the plug cock 22 in off position, can be returned to the location shown in Figure 2 after the exhausted and crumpled inner casing 9 has been removed and has been replaced by a new casing full of quenching liquid. After reinstallation of the cap I4 the air pressure within the housing 6 can be restored from any suitable source of air under pressure, by furnishing air to the interior of the casing 6 through the valve Under certain conditions I prefer to make my fire extinguisher more of the proportions shown in Figure 4, and likewise modify the arrangement by omitting any diaphragm to seal the inner casing. In this instance, the inner casing |09 is provided with an out-turned ange ||2 which is directly clamped between the terminus of the outer housing |06 and the cap 4. Control -of the flow is solely by means of a plug cock |22 which is normally in closed position, so that when the interior of the outer housing |06 is lled with air under pressure through the valve |01, the device is ready to operate upon rotation of the ished to correspond with the interior finish of the ,Y

car, and, while readily available and instantly accessible, it is not unduly conspicuous or bulky.

I claim:

i. A re extinguisher comprising a rigid outer housing, a nozzle on said housing, means for admitting air under pressure to said housing, a deformable inner casing adapted to contain a lire quenching fluid and disposed within said housing, a diaphragm interposed between said casing and said nozzle, and mechanism for rupturing said diaphragm and controlling flow of said fluid through said nozzle including a valve.

2. A fire extinguisher comprising a cylindrical, non-deformable housing, a nozzle on said housing, a valve for controlling ow through said nozzle, a valved air inlet on said housing, a deformable casing adapted to contain liquid and disposed within said housing, said casing normally precluding communication between the interior of said casing and said nozzle, and means operated by said valve for puncturing said casing to establish communication between the interior of said casing and said nozzle.

GEORGE L. TRUEBLOOD. 

